Humidifier with integrated water hardness measuring device for humidifier pad prognosis

ABSTRACT

A method of monitoring heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) equipment is provided. The method includes installing a part into the HVAC equipment, installing a sensor into the HVAC equipment for sensing a parameter which is indicative of a condition of the part, setting a lifespan of the part, adjusting the lifespan in accordance with readings generated by the sensor and issuing an alert as to an adjustment in the lifespan.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/389,567 filed Jul. 15, 2022, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

The following description relates to heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) equipment and, more specifically, to a humidifier with an integrated water hardness measuring device for humidifier pad prognosis.

Stopping viruses and other airborne contaminants inside buildings, such as homes and other residential properties, will remain a top priority for at least the next few years. There are many devices that can be used to achieve this goal including, but not limited to, humidifiers. A humidifier can be coupled with an HVAC system to put moisture into the air inside a building. A whole-house humidifier, for example, can reduce the risk of illness and maintain proper humidity in an entire home by maintaining an optimum humidity range for human comfort and health of about 30%-50% within the home. This can be extremely helpful during winter season when the outside weather and indoor heating systems tend to make indoor air drier.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

According to an aspect of the disclosure, a method of monitoring heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) equipment is provided. The method includes installing a part into the HVAC equipment, installing a sensor into the HVAC equipment for sensing a parameter which is indicative of a condition of the part, setting a lifespan of the part, adjusting the lifespan in accordance with readings generated by the sensor and issuing an alert as to an adjustment in the lifespan.

In accordance with additional or alternative embodiments, the HVAC equipment includes a humidifier, the part includes a humidifier pad, the sensor includes a water hardness sensor and the parameter is a hardness of water flown through the humidifier pad during humidifier operations.

In accordance with additional or alternative embodiments, the condition of the part is an amount of deposits deposited on the humidifier pad.

In accordance with additional or alternative embodiments, the method further includes installing a water softener into the humidifier to reduce the hardness of the water.

In accordance with additional or alternative embodiments, the setting of the lifespan includes setting the lifespan at a predefined number of terms.

In accordance with additional or alternative embodiments, the predefined number of terms is a predefined number of weeks.

In accordance with additional or alternative embodiments, the adjusting of the lifespan includes periodically taking readings of the sensor and periodically calculating an average of the readings.

In accordance with additional or alternative embodiments, the adjusting of the lifespan includes periodically reducing the lifespan by a single term in an event the average of the readings is less than a predefined average and the adjusting of the lifespan includes periodically reducing the lifespan by a calculated number of terms in an event the average of the readings is greater than the predefined average.

In accordance with additional or alternative embodiments, the method further includes determining the calculated number of terms in accordance with a current lifespan reduced by a single term and further reduced by a number of terms derived from a health index for the average of the readings.

In accordance with additional or alternative embodiments, the health index is variable for different geographic locations of the HVAC equipment.

According to an aspect of the disclosure, a method of monitoring a humidifier is provided and includes installing a humidifier pad into the humidifier, installing a water hardness sensor into the humidifier for sensing a hardness of water flown through the humidifier pad as an indicator of a condition of the humidifier pad, setting a lifespan of the humidifier pad as predefined a number of weeks, periodically adjusting the lifespan by a single week or by a calculated number of weeks in accordance with readings generated by the water hardness sensor and issuing an alert as to an adjustment in the lifespan.

In accordance with additional or alternative embodiments, the condition of the humidifier pad is an amount of deposits deposited on the humidifier pad.

In accordance with additional or alternative embodiments, the method further includes installing a water softener into the humidifier to reduce the hardness of the water.

In accordance with additional or alternative embodiments, the periodically adjusting of the lifespan includes periodically taking readings of the water hardness sensor and periodically calculating an average of the readings.

In accordance with additional or alternative embodiments, the periodically adjusting of the lifespan includes periodically reducing the lifespan by a single week in an event the average of the readings is less than a predefined average and the periodically adjusting of the lifespan includes periodically reducing the lifespan by a calculated number of weeks in an event the average of the readings is greater than the predefined average.

In accordance with additional or alternative embodiments, the method further includes determining the calculated number of weeks in accordance with a current lifespan reduced by a single week and further reduced by a number of weeks derived from a health index for the average of the readings.

In accordance with additional or alternative embodiments, the health index is variable for different geographic locations of the HVAC equipment.

According to an aspect of the disclosure, a system for monitoring heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) equipment is provided. The system includes a duct through which conditioned air flows, a humidifier including a humidifier pad installed along the duct such that the conditioned air flows through the humidifier pad, a water supply system coupled to the humidifier to direct water to the humidifier pad whereby the humidifier pad adds moisture to the conditioned air, a water hardness sensor disposed in a flow of the water to sense a hardness of the water as an indicator of an amount of deposits deposited on the humidifier pad and a controller disposed to communicate with the water hardness sensor and configured to set a lifespan of the humidifier pad, to periodically adjust the lifespan in accordance with readings generated by the water hardness sensor and to issue an alert as to an adjustment in the lifespan.

In accordance with additional or alternative embodiments, the humidifier further includes a water softener to reduce the hardness of the water.

In accordance with additional or alternative embodiments, the controller periodically adjusts the lifespan by periodically taking readings of the water hardness sensor and periodically calculating an average of the readings and a periodic adjustment of the lifespan includes a periodic reduction of the lifespan by a single term in an event the average of the readings is less than a predefined average and by a calculated number of terms in an event the average of the readings is greater than the predefined average.

These and other advantages and features will become more apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The subject matter, which is regarded as the disclosure, is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the claims at the conclusion of the specification. The foregoing and other features and advantages of the disclosure are apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of components of a heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system in accordance with embodiments;

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a humidifier and a controller of the HVAC system of FIG. 1 in accordance with embodiments;

FIG. 3 is a flow diagram illustrating a method of monitoring a humidifier in accordance with embodiments; and

FIG. 4 is a flow diagram further illustrating the method of monitoring of FIG. 3 in accordance with embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In HVAC applications, an increasing need for after-market service and sales makes an ability to conduct remote monitoring and diagnosis of HVAC parts and components a key differentiator because monitoring and diagnosis often requires engineering solutions. For example, in a case of monitoring and diagnosis of a humidifier, the humidifier typically needs to be integrated with an HVAC unit. In these types of cases, the monitoring and diagnosis is conducted as a system-wide level and does not provide specific information about the humidifier itself.

In greater detail, a humidifier pad in a humidifier holds and distributes moisture to the air passing through a furnace or another piece of HVAC equipment. When the humidifier senses low humidity levels, more water is added to the humidifier pad so that increased amounts of moisture are passed to the circulating air. According to certain recommendations, the humidifier pad needs to be replaced at least once every year. This is because the life of the pad will tend to vary with the hardness of the water, the amount of use of the humidifier, environment conditions, etc. When hard water evaporates, calcium and magnesium deposits are left behind and form a dense, brittle residue on the surface of the pad. These deposits reduce the life of the pad and would require immediate attention for enhancing the performance of the system. As such, the one-year replacement approach may not be appropriate for optimizing the life of the pad and could result in replacements that are too early or too late.

Thus, as will be described below, implementation of certain HVAC monitoring and diagnostics systems will provide a direct tool for a consumer to determine a current operating state of, for example, a humidifier of their installed HVAC unit. The direct tool is configured to execute condition monitoring by which a parameter of a machine, such as a humidifier, is monitored with a specific end goal to recognize a significant change which is indicative of a developing fault. Such smart HVAC monitoring systems predict issues before they occur and reduce the need for emergency calls but also help in optimizing part, system and sub-system life.

With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 , a system 101 is provided for monitoring HVAC equipment. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , the system 101 includes a duct 110 through which conditioned air flows as either warm air or cold air, a humidifier 120 including a humidifier pad 121 that is installed along the duct 110 such that the conditioned air flows through the humidifier pad 121, a water supply system 130 that is coupled to the humidifier 120 to direct water to the humidifier pad 121 whereby the humidifier pad 121 adds moisture to the conditioned air, a sensor 140 and a controller 150. The humidifier 120 is illustrated as a non-bypass humidifier but it is to be understood that the humidifier 120 can be provided as a bypass humidifier as well.

The system 101 can further include additional pieces of HVAC equipment including, but not limited to, a furnace 160, a humidistat 170 and a water softener 180. The furnace 160 is configured to heat air as it flows through the duct 110. The humidistat 170 is configured to control operations of the humidifier 120 according to humidity level inputs provided by a customer or user. The water softener 180 is configured to soften water supplied by the water supply system 130 and can be deployed in the humidifier 120 as shown in FIG. 2 or in or along the water supply system 130.

The sensor 140 can be provided as a water hardness sensor 141 or as another suitable type of sensor. For purposes of clarity and brevity, the following description will relate to the case in which the sensor 140 is the water hardness sensor 141. The sensor 140 and is disposed in a flow of the water provided by the water supply system 130 to sense a parameter of the water. In accordance with embodiments, the parameter of the water can be a hardness of the water and this can serve an indicator of an amount of deposits deposited on the humidifier pad 121 over time. That is, if relatively hard water is often flown over and through the humidifier pad 121, deposits will tend to build up on the humidifier pad 121 relatively quickly and thus reduce a lifespan of the humidifier pad 121 accordingly. Conversely, if relatively soft water is often flown over and through the humidifier pad 121, deposits will tend to build up on the humidifier pad 121 relatively slowly and thus will tend to not reduce a lifespan of the humidifier pad 121.

The sensor 140 can be disposed at or near an outlet of the humidifier 120 as shown in FIG. 2 or at other locations. These other locations include, but are not limited to, an inlet manifold of the humidifier 120 and at or along the water supply system 130. In some cases, multiple sensors 140 can be included in the humidifier 120 at multiple locations. The following description will relate to the case of a single sensor 140 being included in the humidifier 120, however, for purposes of clarity and brevity.

The controller 150 can be disposed in signal communication with the sensor 140 and may be provided on a control board 151 of the furnace 160 or another piece of HVAC equipment. The controller 150 can be connected to the sensor 140 via a wired connection 152 as shown in FIG. 2 or by way of a wireless connection. In any case, the controller 150 can include a processor, a memory unit and a networking unit by which the processor communicates with the sensor and with external devices. The memory has executable instructions stored thereon, which are readable and executable by the processor. When the executable instructions are read by the processor, the executable instructions cause the processor to operate generally as described herein. That is, when the executable instructions are read by the processor, the executable instructions cause the processor (hereinafter generally referred to as “the controller 150”) to set an initial lifespan of the humidifier pad 121, to periodically adjust the lifespan in accordance with readings generated by the sensor 140 and to issue an alert as to an adjustment in the lifespan.

As will be described below, the controller 150 periodically adjusts the lifespan by periodically taking readings of the sensor 140 and periodically calculating an average of the readings. In addition, in accordance with embodiments, a periodic adjustment of the lifespan can include a periodic reduction of the lifespan by a single term (e.g., a single week) in an event the average of the readings is less than a predefined average. Conversely, a periodic adjustment of the lifespan can include a periodic reduction of the lifespan by a calculated number of terms (e.g., weeks) in an event the average of the readings is greater than the predefined average. In accordance with embodiments, the calculated number of terms (e.g., weeks) can be determined in accordance with a current lifespan reduced by a single week and further reduced by a number of weeks derived from a health index for the average of the readings. In accordance with further embodiments, a periodicity of the taking of the readings can be multiple times per term (e.g., week), a periodicity of the calculating of the average can be once per term (e.g., week) and a periodicity of the reducing of the lifespan can be once per term (e.g., week).

An example of the health index table is shown below as Table-1. This illustrates that for averages of the readings of the sensor 140 which are below 500, the periodic reduction of the lifespan is by a single term (e.g., week). Conversely, for average of the readings of the sensor 140 that are above 500, the periodic reduction of the lifespan is by the single term (e.g., week) and a number of terms (e.g., weeks) coinciding with the average. That is, for an average of the readings of the sensor 140 of 675 for a given term (e.g., week), the reduction of the lifespan would be 5 terms (e.g., weeks).

TABLE 1 TDS Range Health Index 500-550 1 550-600 2 600-650 3 650-700 4 700-750 5 750-800 6 800-850 7 850-900 8 900-950 9  950-1000 10

In accordance with embodiments, the health index can be made variable for various factors including, but not limited to, a geographic location of the system 101. That is, in geographic locations where water hardness is severe, the TDS ranges of the health index can be modified accordingly as it would be expected that the humidifier pad 121 in particular might have a shorter expected lifespan in these geographic locations.

With reference to FIG. 3 , a method 300 of monitoring HVAC equipment, such as the humidifier pad 121 of the humidifier 120 of FIGS. 1 and 2 , is provided. The method 300 includes installing a part, such as the humidifier pad 121 of FIGS. 1 and 2 , into the HVAC equipment, such as the humidifier 120 of FIGS. 1 and 2 , at block 301. The method 300 further includes installing a sensor, such as sensor 140 or water hardness sensor 141 of FIGS. 1 and 2 , into the HVAC equipment for sensing a parameter, which is indicative of a condition of the part, at block 302 where the parameter can be the hardness of the water flowing through the humidifier pad 121 during operations of the humidifier 120 and is indicative of an amount of deposits deposited on the humidifier pad 121. In addition, the method 300 includes setting a lifespan of the part at block 303, adjusting the lifespan in accordance with readings generated by the sensor at block 304 and issuing an alert as to an adjustment in the lifespan at block 305. The method 300 can also optionally include installing a water softener into the humidifier 120 to reduce the hardness of the water at block 306.

In accordance with embodiments, the setting of the lifespan at block 303 can include setting the lifespan at a predefined number of terms, such as 52 weeks, such that an expected lifespan of the humidifier pad 121 is one year as per certain recommendations. In accordance with further embodiments, the adjusting of the lifespan at block 304 can include periodically taking readings of the sensor at block 3041 and periodically calculating an average of the readings at block 3042. In addition, the adjusting of the lifespan at block 304 can include periodically reducing the lifespan by a single term in an event the average of the readings is less than a predefined average at block 3043 and periodically reducing the lifespan by a calculated number of terms in an event the average of the readings is greater than the predefined average at block 3044. The method 300 can also include determining the calculated number of terms in accordance with a current lifespan reduced by a single term and further reduced by a number of terms derived from a health index (see Table-1) for the average of the readings at block 30441.

A periodicity of the taking of the readings at block 3041 can be multiple times per term, a periodicity of the calculating of the average at block 3042 can be once per term and a periodicity of the reducing of the lifespan at blocks 3043 and 3044 can be once per term. Of course, it is to be understood that other periodicities can be defined and that they need not have any relationship to one another or to a particular term.

With reference to FIG. 4 , the method of monitoring of FIG. 3 will now be described in greater detail. As shown in FIG. 4 , it is determined whether a new humidifier pad is installed in a humidifier, which can but is not required to include a water softener, at block 401. If so, it is determined whether an automatic mode is configured or enabled at block 402. If so, a current lifespan of the humidifier pad is set at block 403. Subsequently, sensor values are processed periodically and averaged at sequential blocks 404 and 405.

It is then determined whether the average sensor values are less then a predefined value at block 406. If so, the current lifespan of the humidifier pad is reduced by one term at block 407. If not, the current lifespan of the humidifier pad is reduced by a calculated number of terms derived from the health index table (see Table-1) at block 408. Control proceeds from blocks 407 and 408 to block 409 at which a reminder is set or an alter is issued regarding the lifespan reduction. Subsequently, control returns to block 404.

In an event that it is determined at block 401 that a new humidifier pad is not installed, control proceeds to block 410 at which it is determined whether the automatic mode is configured or enabled. If not, control proceeds to the manual configuration at block 411. If so, control proceeds to block 412 at which a lifespan is manually set whereupon control proceeds to block 404. In an event that it is determined at block 402 that the automatic mode is not configured or enabled, control proceeds to the manual configuration at block 411.

In accordance with embodiments, the method of FIG. 4 can further include varying the health index. As noted above, the varying can be done for various factors including, but not limited to, a geographic location. That is, in geographic locations where water hardness is severe, the TDS ranges of the health index can be modified accordingly as it would be expected that a humidifier pad in particular might have a shorter expected lifespan in these geographic locations.

Technical effects and benefits of the present disclosure are the provision of a humidifier with an improved humidifier pad lifespan, an ability for third party device integration to capture real-time data, reduced after-market service, ease of implementation, improved customer support and minimized unplanned humidifier service.

While the disclosure is provided in detail in connection with only a limited number of embodiments, it should be readily understood that the disclosure is not limited to such disclosed embodiments. Rather, the disclosure can be modified to incorporate any number of variations, alterations, substitutions or equivalent arrangements not heretofore described, but which are commensurate with the spirit and scope of the disclosure. Additionally, while various embodiments of the disclosure have been described, it is to be understood that the exemplary embodiment(s) may include only some of the described exemplary aspects. Accordingly, the disclosure is not to be seen as limited by the foregoing description, but is only limited by the scope of the appended claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of monitoring heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) equipment, the method comprising: installing a part into the HVAC equipment; installing a sensor into the HVAC equipment for sensing a parameter which is indicative of a condition of the part; setting a lifespan of the part; adjusting the lifespan in accordance with readings generated by the sensor; and issuing an alert as to an adjustment in the lifespan.
 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the HVAC equipment comprises a humidifier, the part comprises a humidifier pad, the sensor comprises a water hardness sensor and the parameter is a hardness of water flown through the humidifier pad during humidifier operations.
 3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the condition of the part is an amount of deposits deposited on the humidifier pad.
 4. The method according to claim 2, further comprising installing a water softener into the humidifier to reduce the hardness of the water.
 5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the setting of the lifespan comprises setting the lifespan at a predefined number of terms.
 6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the predefined number of terms is a predefined number of weeks.
 7. The method according to claim 5, wherein the adjusting of the lifespan comprises periodically taking readings of the sensor and periodically calculating an average of the readings.
 8. The method according to claim 7, wherein: the adjusting of the lifespan comprises periodically reducing the lifespan by a single term in an event the average of the readings is less than a predefined average, and the adjusting of the lifespan comprises periodically reducing the lifespan by a calculated number of terms in an event the average of the readings is greater than the predefined average.
 9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising determining the calculated number of terms in accordance with a current lifespan reduced by a single term and further reduced by a number of terms derived from a health index for the average of the readings.
 10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the health index is variable for different geographic locations of the HVAC equipment.
 11. A method of monitoring a humidifier, the method comprising: installing a humidifier pad into the humidifier; installing a water hardness sensor into the humidifier for sensing a hardness of water flown through the humidifier pad as an indicator of a condition of the humidifier pad; setting a lifespan of the humidifier pad as predefined a number of weeks; periodically adjusting the lifespan by a single week or by a calculated number of weeks in accordance with readings generated by the water hardness sensor; and issuing an alert as to an adjustment in the lifespan.
 12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the condition of the humidifier pad is an amount of deposits deposited on the humidifier pad.
 13. The method according to claim 11, further comprising installing a water softener into the humidifier to reduce the hardness of the water.
 14. The method according to claim 11, wherein the periodically adjusting of the lifespan comprises periodically taking readings of the water hardness sensor and periodically calculating an average of the readings.
 15. The method according to claim 14, wherein: the periodically adjusting of the lifespan comprises periodically reducing the lifespan by a single week in an event the average of the readings is less than a predefined average, and the periodically adjusting of the lifespan comprises periodically reducing the lifespan by a calculated number of weeks in an event the average of the readings is greater than the predefined average.
 16. The method according to claim 15, further comprising determining the calculated number of weeks in accordance with a current lifespan reduced by a single week and further reduced by a number of weeks derived from a health index for the average of the readings.
 17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the health index is variable for different geographic locations of the HVAC equipment.
 18. A system for monitoring heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) equipment, the system comprising: a duct through which conditioned air flows; a humidifier comprising a humidifier pad installed along the duct such that the conditioned air flows through the humidifier pad; a water supply system coupled to the humidifier to direct water to the humidifier pad whereby the humidifier pad adds moisture to the conditioned air; a water hardness sensor disposed in a flow of the water to sense a hardness of the water as an indicator of an amount of deposits deposited on the humidifier pad; and a controller disposed to communicate with the water hardness sensor and configured to set a lifespan of the humidifier pad, to periodically adjust the lifespan in accordance with readings generated by the water hardness sensor and to issue an alert as to an adjustment in the lifespan.
 19. The system according to claim 18, wherein the humidifier further comprises a water softener to reduce the hardness of the water.
 20. The system according to claim 18, wherein: the controller periodically adjusts the lifespan by periodically taking readings of the water hardness sensor and periodically calculating an average of the readings, and a periodic adjustment of the lifespan comprises a periodic reduction of the lifespan by a single term in an event the average of the readings is less than a predefined average and by a calculated number of terms in an event the average of the readings is greater than the predefined average. 